Mail-box.



I. A. OSIWALA.

MAIL BOX. "APPucAnoN man maze, 19KB.

1,297,227. Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

.[NVE/YTOR /y/z aims/4 05/WAL/1 ATTORNEY IGNATIUS A. OSIWALA, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

MAIL-Box.

Specification of Iietters Patent. Patented Mal", 11, 1919.

Application filed April 29, 1918. Serial No. 231,342.

\ which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mail boxes and particularly to types adapted to receive mail from suburban carriers.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, strong and compact receiver for the mail, on which the individual owners name may conveniently appear and from which mail may be readily taken, the hinged bottom automatically resetting in position upon its release.

A further object is to provide means whereby mail matter too large to enter the receptacle may be supported upon the face thereof in a convenient manner.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which':

Figure 1 isa front elevational view, showing a mail box made in accordance with the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

This box, which is of very simple construction, comprises a base plate 10, having vertically extended ends 11 and 12, projecting at the top and bottom,through which are openings 14, receptive of fastenings. The sides 15 of the box are preferably inclined inward toward the front and are rigidly secured to the base 10. The front plate 17 is similarly engaged with the outer edges of the side plates 15, while over the top is a fixed cover 18, containing a single laterally extending opening 20 through which mail may beentered. I

This opening is normally covered by an overhanging extended plate 22, hinged by pins 23, in eyes 24, engaged at the upper rear portion of the cover 18, closely adjacent to the base plate 10, thereby providing a cover which may be readily raised so as to permit'rnail to be entered through the slot 20.

A slot 27 is formed 'lengthwisecentrally of the rigid front plate 17 terminating in a transverse arcuate opening 28 permitting papers and packages, of various sizes to be readily entered.

' Engaging by pivots 30 is the bottom plate 31; having rounded front and rear edges, the inner side having attached to it an eye 33, engaged with an elastic element 34, op erating in the manner of a tension spring, the other end of the elastic element being secured in an eye 35, afiixed to the lower side of a block 36, secured on the inner side of the base 10, within the compartment, thus providing means for automatically closing the lower end of the box. A fiat strip 38, formed with anoutwardly extending hooklike element 39, is secured to the lower side of the plate 31, so as to provide means whereby it may be readily lowered, so as to permit the mail or entered parcels to be withdrawn. The hook also may be utilized in suspending parcels during the time of removing the mail.

Large flat parcels, newspapers or the like,

are adapted to be held tightly against the front plate 17 by the wire loop 40, having outturned ends formed into coiled torsion springs 41, the terminals 42 of which are engaged in the side elements 15 of the receptac e.

Formed in the upper portion of the plate 17, is a pair of opposed parallel transverse slots 44, having undercut edges, and a convexly curved back 45, against which may be entered a name plate 46, so that the same is held in a rigid position and yet is capable of being 'withdrawn to interchange with other plates of a like nature.

From the foregoing it will be seen that serviceable mail receptacles have been disclosed, particularly adapted for rural delivery, in which the .mail is maintained safely, and which permits the contents to be readily removed in a convenient manner.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure, by Let ters Patent, is:

In a mail box of the character described, having a vertical base plate, and a substantially rectangular hollow receptacle secured thereon, a hinged bottom for said receptacle,

having rounded front and rear edges, an eye attached to the inner front end of said bottom, a block at the inner wall of said base plate, an eye secured to the lower face of said block, and an elastic element fastened with one end to said first named eye and with its other end to the eye in said block, a flat strip ending in an outwardly extending l1ooklike element providing a grip for lowering said bottom against the tension of said elastic element substantially as de- 10 scribed and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

IGNATIUS A. OSIWALA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents "Washington, 13. G. 

